One type of luggage which is currently very popular with air travelers is generally referred to as a flight bag. A flight bag is a moderate to small sized carry-on bag having a generally rectangular prismatic configuration and a size which allows it to be inserted in the space below an aircraft seat or in an overhead aircraft compartment. Also contributing to the popularity of flight bag style luggage cases is the use of wheels and a guide handle to allow the traveler to maneuver the case on its wheels rather than carry the luggage case by hand. One pair of wheels is positioned along a bottom edge of the luggage case. The guide handle is extendable from the luggage case and is used to lever the case onto the wheels and to pull the case. The wheel and guide handle configuration provides good stability, maneuverability and control of the case.
A flight bag style luggage case allows the user to obtain the important conveniences of a carry-on bag, thereby avoiding the delay and inconvenience of checking the luggage and the risk of loss of the luggage. By incorporating wheels on the flight bag style luggage case, the user obtains the important conveniences of easy transportation by rolling the case on its wheels, thereby avoiding the more strenuous effort of carrying the luggage case by hand. U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,739, assigned to the assignee of the present application, discloses an example of a "carry-on" flight bag style luggage case with wheels and a guide handle which obtains these important advantages.
Another popular type of luggage is a garment bag. A garment bag allows articles of clothing such as shirts, blouses, jackets, suitcoats, trousers, dresses, skirts and coats to be quickly packed in the bag on hangers. After the clothing is hung on hangers in the garment bag, the garment bag is closed and folded in half to reduce its size and make it easier to carry. The clothing is confined in the garment bag in a manner which minimizes wrinkling. At the traveler's destination, the garment bag is unfolded, suspended from a closet bar or door, and the clothes are thereafter taken directly from the garment bag for use and replaced in the garment bag after use. The garment bag can thereby be kept in a state of readiness without having to pack and unpack it at each destination. A further benefit of a garment bag is that it is carry-on luggage which may be conveniently placed in an aircraft overhead compartment or hung in a closet within the aircraft after the bag is unfolded. An example of a garment bag is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,360, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
In the past, attempts have been made to obtain the conveniences of wheeled transportation by incorporating wheels with traditional garment bags. These attempts have generally involved attaching a relatively cumbersome and heavy structure to the outside of the garment bag. Some of these structures have incorporated extendable supports which require the garment bag to be unfolded and connected to the extendable supports before the bag can be moved on its wheels. Unfortunately, the addition of the relatively rigid support structure and the wheels have increased the weight of the garment bag to the point where it was burdensome to carry and to use. The relatively rigid support structure and wheels have decreased the flexibility of the garment bags to the point where their value as carry-on luggage was greatly diminished, by reason of the fact that it was considerably more difficult to fit the rigid structure and the bag in the overhead compartment or in closets.
Another very popular convenience for travelers using wheeled luggage is the capability of attaching a second auxiliary case to the primary luggage case. An extendable connector or attachment device such as a strap, belt or hook, supports the auxiliary luggage on an upturned face of the wheeled primary luggage case. The user can thereafter maneuver both luggage cases at the same time on the wheels of the primary case, by exerting very little additional force compared to that required to maneuver the primary case by itself on its wheels.
It is with respect to these considerations and others that the present improvements relative to flight bag and garment bag style luggage cases have evolved.